There is general consensus that the reorganisation of production and labour processes and shift in union ideological focus and growth of bureaucratic structures have resulted in the diminishing of a collective voice at most workplaces. This study explores the challenges facing shop stewards at the shop floor in their day to day activities in the aftermath of these changes and examines ways through which they get around them. The day to day activities of shop stewards is not a new phenomenon. However shop stewards have not been targeted as subject for study since democratisation. Where they were mentioned, it was mostly due to their involvement at the shop floor where they are required to carry the workers grievances to the management as well as explaining union standpoint to constituent. The study affirms arguments by previous researchers that shop stewards play a contradictory role, trying to satisfy the aspirations of the constituents who elected the stewards as well as management, the stewards’ pay master who expect the steward to be a social partner, though the relationship is highly unequal. The study noted that though they are social partners, management is insincere when it comes to work environment where it’s not meeting the minimum safety requirements. Moreover, union bureaucratic structures though they are meant to increase efficiency have wiped shop floor democracy since decisions are mostly handed down from the top, confirming the argument that as organisations grows bigger, they tend towards oligarchy. In-depth interviews were conducted at one plant in Wadeville and another on in Nigel local of NUMSA’s Ekurhuleni region. The interviews were complemented with documentary analysis as well as observation during shop steward council meetings.

La place acquise par l’accord collectif d’entreprise dans le champ de la réglementation des conditions de travail et d’emploi et son positionnement en tant que vecteur préférentiel de déclinaison de dispositifs légaux interroge sur l’accessibilité de l’acte conventionnel dans l’entreprise. L’entreprise dépourvue de délégué syndical constitue à cet égard un foyer traditionnellement réfractaire à l’épanouissement conventionnel. Les dispositifs légaux se sont pourtant multipliés depuis plus de vingt ans afin de remédier à cette carence. Le législateur a créé puis développé des formes alternatives de représentation dans la négociation collective sans toutefois se soucier d’ancrer sa démarche dans un schéma clair. Il en résulte aujourd’hui un agrégat de dispositifs variés à la complexité attestée sollicitant de multiples références détournées à la volonté de la collectivité de travail. Davantage motivé par la propagation quantitative des accords collectifs d’entreprise en l’absence de délégué syndical plutôt que par un souci qualitatif de recréation du procédé conventionnel en dehors du référentiel syndical classique, le législateur livre aux utilisateurs de ce mode de négociation un système sans âme dont les malfaçons sont nombreuses. C’est à partir d’un tel constat que nous nous proposons de reprendre l’ouvrage légal en fondant la démarche sur l’exigence constitutionnelle de libre accès des salariés à la négociation collective et en reconstruisant la figure de l’acteur substitutif de négociation sur des exigences plus poussées de représentation de la collectivité de travail lors de la passation de l’acte collectif. / Non-union firms are normally excluded from collective bargaining and consequently from collective agreement. But company-level agreement had gained importance in such a way that the legislator was compelled to create some forms of alternative representation in collective bargaining. But after several evolutions, these forms are now complex and unable to satisfy constitutional principles. So this PhD work aims to rebuild the actual forms of non-union representation in collective bargaining process to give a legitimate and more attractive access to an efficient form of labour relations in spite of the unavailability of representative trade unions. The conventional activity of such substitute bargaining agent newly reconstructed needs even more to be canalized for the purposes of give an equivalent access to collective agreement to both union and non-union companies.

No / This article provides empirical data from the Tyneside Maritime Construction Industry (TMCI) to contribute to the union renewal/resilience debate. The aim of the study is a focus on the effectiveness of shop steward organisation in the industry, levels of activity in membership participation and its significance for union democracy, all of which are important factors in the debate. The paper supports the resilience argument and adds a further development to the debate by presenting evidence which suggests resilient renewal.

AFRIKAANS : Vakbondverteenwoordigers se rol en invloedsmag het die laaste dekade in die werkplek toegeneem. In hierdie navorsing is daar bepaal watter invloed die vakbondverteenwoordiger op die bestuur van die skool het. Die menings van skoolhoofde en vakbondverteenwoordigers in dieselfde skool is getoets. Deur middel van kwalitatiewe navorsing is 'n groep skoolhoofde, wat die bestuurspan van hul skole verteenwoordig, se menings verkry oor die invloed van vakbondverteenwoordigers op die bestuur van die skool. Aspekte soos beplanning, aanstellings, stakings en ander bestuurselemente is in die onderhoude ontleed. ʼn Verskeidenheid van reaksies is van die respondente verkry oor die vakbondverteenwoordigers se leierskapsrolle, die verkiesing en opleiding van verteenwoordigers asook hulle rol en funksie as maatskaplike ontwikkelaars. Die menings van vakbondverteenwoordigers by dieselfde skole is ook verkry oor beplanning, aanstellings, stakings en ander bestuurselemente. Die verteenwoordigers van verskeie artikel 21-skole het hulle eie funksies ten opsigte van sosiale dialoog beoordeel. Die inligting van elke skoolhoof en die ooreenstemmende vakbondverteenwoordiger kon met mekaar vergelyk word om die geldigheid en betroubaarheid van die navorsing te bevestig. Die rol en funksie van die vakbondverteenwoordiger oor die wêreld heen het ʼn nuwe kleur begin kry. Waar vakbondverteenwoordigers in die verlede die draers was van inligting vanaf die hoofkantoor, het hul rol verander na dié van sosiale dialoog. Die verteenwoordiger bevind hom/haar in die rol van bestuurder, beplanner en leier. Hierdie rol van die vakbondverteenwoordiger beïnvloed die bestuur van die skool. Die vakbondverteenwoordiger se invloed kan tweeledig opgesom word: hy/sy kan die stimuleerder wees, wat die bestuur van die skool help om doelwitte te bereik, of die verteenwoordiger kan die inhibeerder wees wat die bestuur van die skool rem. By die Internasionale Arbeidskongres in Lima, Peru, in 2006 is die nuwe era en rigting van die vakbondverteenwoordiger deur verskeie bekende arbeidskonsultante uitgewys. Van die aspekte, soos om deel te word van bestuur en sosiale dialoog, is aan die orde van dié era. Die vakbondverteenwoordiger het invloed op die bestuur van die skool en kan die sosiale dialoog van mede-personeel, ouers en leerders beïnvloed. ENGLISH : The role and extent of the influence of shop stewards in the workplace has increased over the past decade. This research study has attempted to determine what influence is exercised over a school’s management by the Shop steward. The opinions of the heads of schools and those of the shop stewards at the same schools were surveyed. By means of qualitative research methods, the opinions of a group of headmasters representing the management teams of their schools were obtained in regard to the influence of shop stewards on the school. Aspects such as planning, appointments, strikes and other management elements were analysed in interviews. Diverse opinions were expressed by the respondents about the leadership roles of the shop stewards, the election and training of representatives and their role and function as social developers. The shop stewards at the same schools were also asked for their views about planning, appointments, strikes and other elements of management. The representatives of several Section 21 schools evaluated their own functions in respect of social dialogue. Information obtained from each headmaster and their respective shop stewards could be compared to confirm the validity and trustworthiness of the research. The roles and functions of shop stewards are changing all over the world. Where shop stewards were formerly transmitters of information received from head office, their role has evolved into one of social dialogue. The shop steward now finds him-/herself in the role of manager, planner and leader. The shop steward’s role affects the management of the school. This influence is twofold: he/she can be a stimulator, helping the school’s management to achieve objectives, or an inhibitor who has a retardant effect on the school’s management. At the International Labour Congress in Lima, Peru, in 2006, the new era and direction of the shop steward were highlighted by several eminent consultants. Aspects such as active participation in management and social dialogue are predominant in this era. The shop steward influences the management of the school and can affect the social dialogue of fellow staff members, parents and learners. Copyright / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Education Management and Policy Studies / unrestricted